228 THE HISTORY OF ANIHALS. [B. VIIL 



viper eats a scorpion, its bite is the most fatal of all. 

 The saliva of a man is hostile to most of them. There 

 is one small serpent, which some persons call hierus, 

 which is avoided even by large serpents. It is a cubit 

 long, and appears rough. "Whatsoever it bites imrne- 

 meoiately becomes putrid in a circle round the wound. 

 There is also a small serpent in India, the only one for 

 which there is no remedy. 



CHAPTEB XXIX. 



1. ANIMALS also differ in being in good condition or not 

 during gestation. The testacea, as the pectens and the ma- 

 lacostraca, as the carabi and such like, are best when preg- 

 nant ; for this word is also used of the testacea. For the 

 malacostraca have been observed both in the act of copula- 

 tion and oviposition ; but none of the testacea have ever 

 been seen so occupied. The malacia, such as the teuthis, 

 sepia, and polypus, are most excellent when pregnant ; and 

 almost all fish are good during the early part of the period ; 

 but as the time advances some are good and some not so. 



2. The maenis thrives during gestation. The form of the 

 female is round, that of the male longer and broader. And 

 when the period of gestation commences in the females, the 

 males become black and variegated, and are not fit to eat. 

 Some persons call them tragi at this period. Those which 

 are called cottyphus and cichla also change their colour ; 

 and the caris also changes at this season and some birds, 

 which are black in spring and afterwards become white. 



3. The phycis also changes its colour ; for it is white at 

 all other seasons, and variegated in the spring. This is the 

 only sea fish that, as they say, makes a nest in which 

 it deposits its ova. The ma3nis, as it was before ob- 

 served, and the smaris also change their colours, and from 

 being white in summer become black. This is particu- 

 larly conspicuous about the fins and gills. The coracinus 

 is best when pregnant, and so is the msenis. The cestreus, 

 labrax, and nearly all creatures that swim are inferior at this 

 season. 



4. There are a few which are good, whether pregnant or 

 not, as the glaucus. Old fish also are inferior; and old 

 tunnies are not even fit for salting, for much of the flesh is 



